Recreational punching or strike bags have been in use for many years. More recently, manufacturers have been including sensors and electronic devices to detect and visually/audibly register strikes of particular targets on the punching bag. These sensors have to be durable enough to withstand the constant (and sometimes high) forces while at the same time being sensitive enough to register or detect contact.
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of an exploded partial view of a known punching bag 100, which includes an outer shell 102 and an inner shell 104. The outer shell 102 includes one or more target areas 106 that graphically indicate the locations of respective force sensors 108. The inner shell 104 is configured or designed to align with the outer shell 102 such that each force sensor 108 is directly behind the respective target area 106. This configuration ensures that a force is recorded by the sensor 108 when a user strikes the target area 106.
While the inner shell 104 is shown as a single layer, in many known punching bags 100 the inner shell 104 includes multiple electrical layers separated by foam. A contact of the target area 106 causes one electrical layer to contact another electrical layer through the foam, thereby completing a circuit (similar to triggering a switch). An electronic reader detects a voltage from the completed circuit and registers the contact.
In the illustrated known punching bag 100, the outer shell 102 is connected to the inner shell 104 along the edges or seams of the shells. For instance, a top edge 110 of the outer shell 102 is connected to a top edge of the inner shell 104. This connection causes the inner shell 104 to hang behind the outer shell 102. It should be appreciated that this construction results in an air gap between most of the inner shell 104 and outer shell 102 including the locations of the sensors 108 and target areas 106.
An issue with this configuration is that with repeated use, the inner shell 104 can become misaligned with the outer shell 102. For instance, the top edge 112 could become partially or fully disconnected from the outer shell 102. Additionally or alternatively, the inner shell 104 (including the sensor 108) can become ripped or stretched through use, thereby causing misalignment. In yet other instances, the air gap between the shells 102 and 104 could widen, thereby resulting in reduced sensor sensitivity. As a result of this misalignment, a strike of the target area 106 is not necessarily detected by the sensor 108. There accordingly exists a need to provide an accurate and durable punching apparatus that overcomes at least some of the above mentioned the issues.